Charles gives Prince William his first starter home

By LUKE SALKELD

Last updated at 22:00 17 December 2006

He has just reached a significant milestone in his career path. And yesterday details were revealed of another important step to be taken by Prince William - with his first move on to the property ladder.

As a starter home it is a far cry from the kind of property the average young couple can now afford with property prices continuing to soar.

Yet the designs show a house that is in fact just half the size of the one originally planned for his son by Prince Charles.

Plans have been redrawn for a building that is eco-friendly and more modest in scale.

The mansion – which at £5million will also be cheaper than the original – is set to feature solar powered heating, as well as insulation made of sheep’s wool.

The design emerged as expectation grew of a Christmas engagement between the heir and his girlfriend Kate Middleton.

This was strengthened after she made her first official appearance alongside the Royal Family at the prince’s passing out parade at Sandhurst.

It is believed the mansion is being built by Prince Charles as a wedding present to his son.

Less than an hour’s drive from Prince Charles' Highgrove Estate, the classical style home will boast five bathrooms, a dressing room, a grand dining room, a tree garden and a Greek column-lined hall.

It will be bilt in an isolated valley on the Welsh border on part of the 900-acre Harewood Park estate in the Wye Valley which was bought by the prince six years ago.

Last week the Duchy of Cornwall lodged plans with Herefordshire Council for a two-storey house.

He was given the go-ahead for a larger mansion of nearly 15,000 sq ft two years ago, but royal officials say it was slashed to a 8,500 sq ft home to make it more eco-friendly and rentable.

Should William and Kate move in, they would have to obey a strict regime of energy conservation outlined in the plans including planting trees and taking showers instead of baths.

Central to the design are a series of large triumphal arches at the front and rear of the house - normally only used to mark national events such as a royal wedding.

William and Kate, both 24, were reported to have visited the estate to view their future home earlier in the year.

First built by King John in 1215, the mansion at Harewood Park was demolished after being used as target practice by the SAS in the 1950s.

A spokeswoman for Prince Charles said the building will be available for let on the open market when it is completed after 2010, and insisted the house would not be needed by the prince while he is still in the Army.

He added: 'The plans were scaled down as a smaller house is much more lettable on the commercial market. There is a lot of demand for a property of this size.'

The mansion’s architect Craig Hamilton said: 'The brief from the Duchy of Cornwall was to design a smaller house but still with sufficient architectural presence that is demanded by the adjoining buildings and the landscape.'

And despite the reduced size of William’s future home, it is undoubtedly more palatial than the stone coach house in a West Wales hamlet that Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall bought earlier this year as their first joint holiday home.

The couple fell in love with Llwywormwood in Myddfai, near Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, on a visit to the area.

Perhaps Charles was attracted by the fact that part of the 192 acres in which it stands is an organic farm.

The couple ordered the Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate which provides Charles with his income, to buy it from its current owner.

Stung by criticism of his extravagant lifestyle and the fact that the Duchy, which funds him to the tune of £14 million a year, is not subject to corporate tax, Charles has agreed to allow the three-bedroom property to be rented out when he and Camilla aren't staying there.

The prospect of sleeping in the future King's bed not to mention using his bathroom and kitchen cutlery is expected to cause a stampede among holidaymakers eager to sample royal country living.